Peninsula Red Sox Take GVBA Mosquito Championship

Sidney, BC (ISN) – The Peninsula Red Sox used a 4-run 5th inning to break out of a 6-6 tie and go on to defeat the Gordon Head Grenades 10-7 in the Greater Victoria Baseball Association Mosquito City Championship Monday night at Rotary Park in Sidney.

The game started out poorly for the Red Sox, who, after scoring a run of their own in the top of the first inning, would see the first four batters for Gordon Head reach base to start the bottom half of the first and eventually come around to score, giving the Grenades an early 4-1 lead.

Gordon Head starting pitcher Hassan Inayatali would pitch out of a jam early in the first inning and would also help his team offensively Monday, scoring 3 of the Grenades’ 7 runs (Photo by Christian J. Stewart – ISN)

The Red Sox responded though with three of their own runs in the top of the second inning, roughing up Gordon Head starting pitcher Hassan Inayatali – who pitched out of a jam in the first – with three hits, including those by Gurvir Baidwan, Isaac Harris and Brennan Williams.

Peninsula’s Gurvir Baidwan would get on base with this hit and later score in the Red Sox second inning (Photo by Christian J. Stewart – ISN)

Peninsula’s Marcus Gilbert slides home with the Red Sox’s second run during the second inning Monday (Photo by Christian J. Stewart – ISN)

In the bottom half of the second, Peninsula starting pitcher, Williams – who struggled with his control in the first inning – settled down nicely and struck out the Gordon Head side and the game was tied 4-4 after two innings of play.

Peninsula starting pitcher Brennan Williams would strike out the side in the second on Monday (Photo by Christian J. Stewart – ISN)

In the top of the third, Peninsula’s Rhys Hill would leadoff with his second of what would be four hits on the evening and would then score thanks in part to hits by Joseph Hyde, Baidwan and Zach Young.

Peninsula’s Rhys Hill was making solid contact all night, going 4 for 4 at the plate (Photo by Christian J. Stewart – ISN)

The Grenades would respond with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning as Martin Lorenz would leadoff with a single and eventually score his second run of the game on a hit by Inayatali. Inayatali would then score thanks to a base hit by Connor Sajn and the Grenades had pushed back in front 6-5.

A bright spot for the Grenades was Martin Lorenz who would single, walk and score twice in a losing effort (Photo by Christian J. Stewart – ISN)

As the see-saw battle continued, Peninsula would answer right back scoring another in the top of the fourth to tie the game 6-6, as Harris would draw a leadoff walk and come around to score after hits by Jordan Meeland and Hill’s third of the game.

Peninsula’s Zach Young would have a hit in the Red Sox 3rd (Photo by Christian J. Stewart – ISN)

That set the stage then for Peninsula reliever Baidwan, who refocused after allowing the 3 Grenade runs in the third, and proceeded to retire the Gordon Head side 1-2-3 with two strikeouts and on just eight pitches.

The Red Sox would use the momentum from that big defensive inning to score four runs in the top of the fifth, as Hyde, Young and Harris would all draw walks and come in to score, two of which were thanks to a 2-RBI base hit by Williams, who would also eventually score, making it 10-6 for Peninsula.

Brennan Williams would swat this pitch to right field for a 2-RBI base hit in the Red Sox big 5th inning rally (Photo by Christian J. Stewart – ISN)

Once again, Peninsula’s Baidwan took to the hill for the bottom of the 5th, and once again, he would have an amazing 1-2-3 inning, enticing the first two batters to ground out to him on the mound, and then striking out the last to end the inning, this time with just ten pitches.

Gordon Head infielder Maya Kunstrup comes up throwing after making a nice play Monday (Photo by Christian J. Stewart – ISN)

After the Red Sox could not add an insurance run in the top of the sixth, Baidwan took the mound again for the bottom of the inning, but after allowing a leadoff single to Inayatali – who would eventually steal his way around and come in to score his third run of the game – Baidwan gave way to hard-throwing reliever Hill.

Once Red Sox reliever Rhys Hill took to the mound, it was lights out for Gordon Head, as Rhys struck out three in a row to end the game (Photo by Christian J. Stewart – ISN)

Hill was absolutely lights out, as he had no trouble striking out the next three batters, ending the game and sending the Red Sox home with the 2012 GVBA Mosquito title.

The Mosquito final was the third GVBA spring championship to be decided. Last week, the Carnarvon Riverdawgs took home the Pee Wee title and Peninsula took home the Bantam AA title. The Bantam A final was also in action Monday night (score not available at press time), while the Midget AA final goes Wednesday night, also at Peninsula.

For a full selection of game action images from this game, please visit Christian J. Stewart’s gallery HERE.

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